Many funny Chinese words are a tad cryptic and require a deep understanding of Chinese culture. Throwing them into casual conversation shows that you have tons of experience speaking Chinese and have a fast mind. Once you start using them, you’ll notice a massive change in how people interact with you. Some funny Chinese words and sayings describe everyday situations, and Chinese people love to slip them into their daily conversations. So if you are a bit 风声鹤唳 yourself, then maybe this phrase is not for you. Of course, it takes some bravery to use such a high-level word in daily Mandarin conversation. This expression means “startle at the sound of the wind, and cry at the honk of the stork.” If you use it, everyone will be very impressed. In Mandarin Chinese, there is a great saying, 风声鹤唳 fēng shēng hè lì, which describes someone who is easily spooked. Some examples of what can be considered 吹牛 would be bragging about money, social status, or one’s job on social media. This term typically carries a bit of negative meaning. What 吹牛 actually means is to brag, boast, or flaunt impressive details about oneself. The literal meaning of this term that native Mandarin speakers often use is to “blow the cow.” Unsurprisingly, it can be tricky to understand the first time you hear it with no context. 吹牛 chuī niú is another one of the many funny Chinese words that have something to do with animals. This sentence is similar to the English saying, “Those who can’t do, teach.” 6. A cat can only hobble with three legs and perhaps just pass his knowledge of mouse-hunting down to his kittens. In Mandarin, we call someone who has working knowledge but lacks professional skills a 三脚猫 or a “three-legged cat.” In theory, all cats should know how to hunt mice very well. Have you ever had a teacher or professor that is an excellent instructor but has no working knowledge of the field? If so, then the 三脚猫 sān jiǎo māo proverb perfectly describes this case. This saying means they “make the fish sink in the water and the geese fall from the sky.”Īlthough, when translated 沉鱼落雁 sounds pretty funny, the saying originates from the traditional Taoist author 莊子 ( Zhuāng Zǐ), who was a very influential philosopher during the Warring States period. In English, when someone is beautiful beyond words, we call them stunning, alluring, or even “drop-dead gorgeous.” However, in Chinese, we take it one step further and say 沉鱼落雁 chén yú, luò yàn. While, in some cases, a bit of well-deserved flattery can be nice, this expression has a generally negative meaning to it. When one of the students is constantly raising their hand to answer questions and trying to be a teacher’s pet, it is the perfect example of someone doing 拍马屁. 拍马屁 – Pāi mǎ pìĪnother one of the many funny Chinese words related to a horse is 拍马屁 pāi mǎ pì, or to “beat the bottom of a horse.” It means that the person is a suck-up or a total kiss-ass. Nonetheless, the horse’s legs are open for all to see and judge. Typically, this phrase has a negative meaning and indicates that someone’s exposed motives are evil or ill intent. One of them is 露马脚 lòu mǎ jiǎo which means to “expose horse legs.” This idiomatic expression means to have your plans revealed or that a person’s true purpose or real intention has come into the limelight. There are so many funny Chinese words that are about horses. It’s a losing battle, and they might as well go fishing atop a tree and still have the same result as getting into this university. With an acceptance rate of only 1%, this is where you would laugh at your friend and tell them that it’s a lost cause. Still, they have the lowest test scores in the entire class. This sentence translates as “climb a tree to catch a fish.”įor example, your friend tells you that they want to go to the prestigious Beijing University. The saying 缘木求鱼 yuán mù qiú yú in Mandarin Chinese means to do something that cannot be done or is impossible. And while the horse, goose, and cat are all basic vocabulary words, did you know that sometimes they have different meanings depending on the context? So while the following Chinese phrases have something to do with animals, they might mean the complete opposite of what you would assume! 1. When studying foreign languages, some of the first words you learn are the names of animals. 你吃错药了吗?– Nǐ chī cuò yào le ma? Funny Chinese words related to animals
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |